Just half a year after realising their dream of farm ownership, a Queensland family is confronting a catastrophic clean-up, with costs expected to soar into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The disaster was unleashed by ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji, which inundated their property in minutes.
Dream Property Submerged in Minutes
The Flack family could only watch as raging floodwaters swallowed their Clermont property, located about an hour north of Emerald in the Isaac Region. The event caused severe damage to critical infrastructure and fencing, and wiped out an entire season's worth of hay in a single, devastating day. The hay alone was valued at $22,000.
Jade Flack described the scene from her flood-ravaged land, painting a picture of widespread destruction. "The damage across the region is catastrophic," she told Sunrise on Wednesday. She reported that very few fences are left standing, leading to livestock wandering lost and injured across the landscape.
"I’ve got someone’s cattle that have come from we don’t know where. We’ve got some horses that have come from nowhere," Flack said. "There are little to no fences left in the region. Properties out of town have lost boundary fences, internal fences. There’s livestock that’s just wandering around, some injured, some not."
Community Spirit Amidst the Ruins
Despite the enormous financial blow to their fledgling six-month farming operation, Flack emphasised that their losses are minor compared to some of their neighbours. She expressed profound gratitude that her family remained safe throughout the ordeal.
"We are good, we are high and dry ... you can build fences, and put poles back together, but we’re OK," she stated, highlighting what truly matters. "We’ve come off unscathed. People here have lost so much ... they’ve had water through their homes, they’ve lost cars, they’ve lost so much."
In the face of devastation, the community's response has been a beacon of hope. Flack praised neighbours, many dealing with their own severe losses, for offering tractors, labour, and unwavering support. "It’s a town like no other," she said emotionally.
Angels of the Sky and Ongoing Alerts
Flack also reserved special thanks for the helicopter pilots conducting rescue and recovery missions, whom she affectionately called "angels of the sky." These pilots initially performed critical rescues and are now searching for missing livestock across the vast flood-affected region.
The aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji continues to threaten Queensland, with many residents remaining on high alert. The weather system dumped days of significant rainfall, and flood warnings are still current for areas including Rockhampton, as more locations come into the firing line.
For the Flack family, the path to recovery will be long and expensive, but their spirit, bolstered by a resilient community, remains unbroken.
